U.S. patent application number 15/900246 was filed with the patent office on 2019-05-09 for apparatus for cooling battery for vehicle.
The applicant listed for this patent is Hyundai Motor Company, Kia Motors Corporation. Invention is credited to So La Chung, Jae Woong Kim, Sang Shin Lee, Man Ju Oh, So Yoon Park.
Application Number | 20190140329 15/900246 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 66327679 |
Filed Date | 2019-05-09 |
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United States Patent
Application |
20190140329 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Lee; Sang Shin ; et
al. |
May 9, 2019 |
APPARATUS FOR COOLING BATTERY FOR VEHICLE
Abstract
An apparatus for cooling a battery for a vehicle is provided.
The apparatus includes a battery module for a vehicle and a body
that is disposed adjacent to the battery module. The body has a
circulation space formed therein to allow heat generated in the
battery module to circulate in the circulation space and thus be
absorbed by the body. Additionally, a cooling part is disposed to
exchange heat with the body to thus cool the battery module is
introduced.
Inventors: |
Lee; Sang Shin; (Suwon,
KR) ; Oh; Man Ju; (Yongin, KR) ; Park; So
Yoon; (Suwon, KR) ; Kim; Jae Woong; (Hwaseong,
KR) ; Chung; So La; (Seoul, KR) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Hyundai Motor Company
Kia Motors Corporation |
Seoul
Seoul |
|
KR
KR |
|
|
Family ID: |
66327679 |
Appl. No.: |
15/900246 |
Filed: |
February 20, 2018 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B60H 2001/00307
20130101; H01M 10/6556 20150401; H01M 10/613 20150401; H01M 10/625
20150401; H01M 2220/20 20130101; B60H 1/00321 20130101; H01M
10/6567 20150401; B60H 1/00278 20130101; H01M 10/6568 20150401 |
International
Class: |
H01M 10/6556 20060101
H01M010/6556; H01M 10/613 20060101 H01M010/613; H01M 10/625
20060101 H01M010/625; H01M 10/6567 20060101 H01M010/6567; B60H 1/00
20060101 B60H001/00 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Nov 6, 2017 |
KR |
10-2017-0146759 |
Claims
1. An apparatus for cooling a battery for a vehicle, comprising: a
battery module for a vehicle; a body disposed adjacent to the
battery module and having a circulation space formed therein to
allow heat generated in the battery module to circulate in the
circulation space and be absorbed by the body; and a cooling part
disposed to exchange heat with the body to cool the battery
module.
2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein fluid is filled in and
circulates within the circulation space of the body while
exchanging heat with the cooling part and the battery module.
3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein a first side of the body is
closed and a second side of the body is open, and a closing part is
disposed at the second side of the body to cover the open second
side of the body, to close the body and a predetermined pressure is
maintained in the body.
4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein a pressure approximate to a
vacuum pressure is maintained in the body by the closing part.
5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the circulation space is
formed with a length of the circulation space is greater than a
width thereof, and a lengthwise direction of the circulation space
is about equal to a lengthwise direction of the battery module.
6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the circulation space is
partitioned into a plurality of sections and a transfer member is
disposed between sections of the circulation space.
7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein a transfer member is disposed
on an inner surface of the body and facilitates movement of fluid
filled in the circulation space.
8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein a first side of the body is
inserted through the cooling part to allow the body and the cooling
part to be in surface contact with each other.
9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the cooling part is disposed
on a first side of the body, and the body and the cooling part are
in surface contact with each other.
10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein an insertion groove is formed
on the cooling part and a first side of the body is inserted in the
insertion groove to allow the body and the cooling part to be in
surface contact with each other.
11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the cooling part includes a
cooling water tank which is connected to an air-conditioning line
of a vehicle and stores cooling water.
Description
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] The present application claims priority to Korean Patent
Application No. 10-2017-0146759 filed on Nov. 6, 2017, the entire
contents of which are incorporated herein for all purposes by this
reference.
BACKGROUND
1. Field of the Disclosure
[0002] The present disclosure relates to a vehicular battery
cooling apparatus that efficiently cools a battery module including
a high-voltage battery in a vehicle in which the high-voltage
battery is mounted.
2. Description of the Prior Art
[0003] An electric vehicle, in which a battery module for providing
a driving energy to the vehicle is mounted, obtains driving energy
from electric energy instead of combustion of fossil fuel from
which a conventional vehicle obtains driving energy. Additionally,
an electric vehicle discharges no exhaust gas and generates minimal
noise. However, several problems including the substantial weight
of the battery thereof and the time required for charging the
battery have disturbed commercialization of the electric vehicle.
Recently, development of the electric vehicle is being accelerated
again due to problems, such as increasing pollution and depletion
of fossil fuel. In particular, for commercialization of an electric
vehicle, the time required to charge a battery module of the
vehicle needs to be reduced, which is a source for fuel supply to
the vehicle, and the weight and volume of the battery also require
reduction. In this regard, active research regarding the battery
module is being conducted.
[0004] The battery module includes a plurality of battery cells
that are connected in series. Further, for efficient charging or
discharging of the battery module, the battery module should be
maintained at a proper temperature. Therefore, an electric vehicle
includes a temperature control system for monitoring a battery
module in real time according to an environment, such as an outdoor
environment or a driving environment, to cool or heat the battery
module. However, in a conventional vehicular battery temperature
control system, one radiator is shared by a battery module and an
electronic component core. Therefore, there has been a limitation
in use of the conventional vehicular battery temperature control
system due to the different temperature ranges in which the battery
module and the electronic component core mainly operate,
respectively. Moreover, the conventional vehicular battery
temperature control system is installed adjacent to devices for
air-conditioning a passenger compartment, thereby reducing the
thermal efficiency.
[0005] The foregoing description of the background art is merely
for the purpose of promoting understanding of the background of the
present disclosure and should not be construed as an admission that
the description is a prior art which is already known to a person
skilled in the art.
SUMMARY
[0006] An aspect of the present disclosure is to provide a
vehicular battery cooling apparatus, which reduces the weight of a
vehicle and also reduces the power consumption of a water pump to
increase the power performance of the vehicle.
[0007] In accordance with the above aspect, an apparatus for
cooling a battery for a vehicle may include: a battery module for a
vehicle; a body, which is disposed adjacent to the battery module
and has a circulation space formed therein to allow heat generated
in the battery module to circulate in the circulation space and
thus be absorbed by the body; and a cooling part disposed to
exchange heat with the body, to cool the battery module.
[0008] Fluid may be filled and may circulate in the circulation
space of the body while exchanging heat with the cooling part and
the battery module. A first side of the body may be closed and a
second side thereof may be open, and a closing part may be disposed
at the second side of the body to cover the open second side of the
body, so that the body is closed and a predetermined pressure is
maintained in the body. A pressure approximate to a vacuum pressure
may be maintained in the body by the closing part.
[0009] The circulation space may be formed with a length of the
circulation space greater than a width thereof, and a lengthwise
direction of the circulation space may be about the same as a
lengthwise direction of the battery module. The circulation space
may be partitioned into a plurality of sections and a transfer
member may be disposed between sections of the circulation space. A
transfer member may be disposed on an inner surface of the body to
assist movement of fluid filled in the circulation space.
[0010] One side of the body may be inserted through the cooling
part to allow the body and the cooling part to be in surface
contact with each other. The cooling part may be disposed on one
side of the body, and the body and the cooling part may be in
surface contact with each other. An insertion groove may be formed
on the cooling part and one side of the body may be inserted in the
insertion groove to allow the body and the cooling part to be in
surface contact with each other. The cooling part may include a
cooling water tank which is connected to an air-conditioning line
of a vehicle and stores cooling water.
[0011] A vehicular battery cooling apparatus having the
construction described above may reduce the quantity of cooling
water to thus reduce the weight thereof, reduce the power
consumption of a water pump to thus increase the power performance
of the vehicle, and remove the possibility of direct contact
between a high-voltage battery and cooling water to thus remove the
possibility of fire due to leakage of the cooling water, thereby
increasing the safety.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0012] The above and other aspects, features and advantages of the
present disclosure will be more apparent from the following
detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying
drawings, in which:
[0013] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a vehicular battery cooling
apparatus according to a first exemplary embodiment of the present
disclosure;
[0014] FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along line A-A of FIG. 1
according to the first exemplary embodiment of the present
disclosure;
[0015] FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along line B-B of FIG. 1
according to the first exemplary embodiment of the present
disclosure;
[0016] FIG. 4 is a sectional view of a vehicular battery cooling
apparatus according to a second exemplary embodiment of the present
disclosure;
[0017] FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a vehicular battery cooling
apparatus according to a third exemplary embodiment of the present
disclosure;
[0018] FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken along line C-C of FIG. 5
according to the third exemplary embodiment of the present
disclosure;
[0019] FIG. 7 is a sectional view of a vehicular battery cooling
apparatus according to a fourth exemplary embodiment of the present
disclosure;
[0020] FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a vehicular battery cooling
apparatus according to a fifth exemplary embodiment of the present
disclosure; and
[0021] FIG. 9 is a sectional view taken along line D-D of FIG. 8
according to the fifth exemplary embodiment of the present
disclosure.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0022] It is understood that the term "vehicle" or "vehicular" or
other similar term as used herein is inclusive of motor vehicles in
general such as passenger automobiles including sports utility
vehicles (SUV), buses, trucks, various commercial vehicles,
watercraft including a variety of boats and ships, aircraft, and
the like, and includes hybrid vehicles, electric vehicles, plug-in
hybrid electric vehicles, hydrogen-powered vehicles and other
alternative fuel vehicles (e.g. fuels derived from resources other
than petroleum). As referred to herein, a hybrid vehicle is a
vehicle that has two or more sources of power, for example both
gasoline-powered and electric-powered vehicles.
[0023] Although exemplary embodiment is described as using a
plurality of units to perform the exemplary process, it is
understood that the exemplary processes may also be performed by
one or plurality of modules. Additionally, it is understood that
the term controller/control unit refers to a hardware device that
includes a memory and a processor. The memory is configured to
store the modules and the processor is specifically configured to
execute said modules to perform one or more processes which are
described further below.
[0024] The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing
particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of
the invention. As used herein, the singular forms "a", "an" and
"the" are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the
context clearly indicates otherwise. It will be further understood
that the terms "comprises" and/or "comprising," when used in this
specification, specify the presence of stated features, integers,
steps, operations, elements, and/or components, but do not preclude
the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers,
steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof. As
used herein, the term "and/of" includes any and all combinations of
one or more of the associated listed items.
[0025] Unless specifically stated or obvious from context, as used
herein, the term "about" is understood as within a range of normal
tolerance in the art, for example within 2 standard deviations of
the mean. "About" can be understood as within 10%, 9%, 8%, 7%, 6%,
5%, 4%, 3%, 2%, 1%, 0.5%, 0.1%, 0.05%, or 0.01% of the stated
value. Unless otherwise clear from the context, all numerical
values provided herein are modified by the term "about."
[0026] Hereinafter, a vehicular battery cooling apparatus according
to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure will be
described with reference to the accompanying drawings
[0027] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a vehicular battery cooling
apparatus according to an exemplary embodiment of the present
disclosure, FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along line A-A of FIG.
1, FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along line B-B of FIG. 1, FIG.
4 is a sectional view of a vehicular battery cooling apparatus
according to a second exemplary embodiment of the present
disclosure, FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a vehicular battery
cooling apparatus according to a third exemplary embodiment of the
present disclosure, FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken along line C-C
of FIG. 5, FIG. 7 is a sectional view of a vehicular battery
cooling apparatus according to an exemplary fourth embodiment of
the present disclosure, FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a vehicular
battery cooling apparatus according to a fifth exemplary embodiment
of the present disclosure, and FIG. 9 is a sectional view taken
along line D-D of FIG. 8.
[0028] A vehicular battery cooling apparatus according to an
exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure may include: a
battery module 100 for a vehicle; a body 300, which is disposed
adjacent to the battery module 100 and has circulation spaces 310
formed therein to allow heat generated in the battery module 100 to
circulate in the circulation spaces 310 and thus be absorbed by the
body; and a cooling part 500 disposed to exchange heat with the
body 300, to cool the battery module 100.
[0029] The inventive vehicular battery cooling apparatus, which
absorbs heat generated in a high-voltage battery installed to a
vehicle to cool the battery and thus enhance the efficiency of the
battery, may be applied especially to an electric vehicle having a
high-voltage battery installed thereto. Although the battery module
100 exemplarily described and illustrated in the present
specification is located at the side of a floor panel of the
vehicle, the location of the battery module is not limited to this
position.
[0030] Furthermore, the body 300 may be disposed adjacent to the
battery module 100 and may be a heat pipe. The body 300 may include
circulation spaces 310 formed therein, and fluid may be filled and
circulate in the circulation spaces 310 while absorbing heat
generated in the battery module 100 to allow heat exchange with the
cooling part 500. In particular, a first side of the body 300 may
be closed while a second side thereof (e.g., an opposite side) is
open. Further, a closing part 700 may be disposed to cover the
second side of the body 300, i.e. the open side 330 thereof. As a
result, the body 300 is closed and the inside of the body 300 may
be maintained at a predetermined pressure. The inside of the body
300 may be maintained at a pressure that is approximately a vacuum
pressure. The closing part 700 may include a closing protrusion
710, which makes it possible to perform a labor of forming a
pressure close approximate to a vacuum pressure in the circulation
spaces 310 and then permanently close the spaces.
[0031] The circulation spaces 310 formed in the body 300 may have a
length greater than a width thereof. In particular, the circulation
spaces 310 may be formed with the lengthwise direction of the
circulation spaces 310 about the same as the lengthwise direction
of the battery module 100, to allow fluid to circulate in the
circulation spaces 310 and enable heat exchange between the battery
module 100 and the cooling part 500. The circulation spaces 310 may
be partitioned from each other and a transfer member 350 may be
disposed between a first circulation space 310 and a second
circulation space 310. Further, the transfer member 350 may be
formed to be in tight contact (e.g., abutting) with an inner
surface of the body 300. Therefore, the transfer member 350
facilitates movement of the fluid filled in the circulation spaces
310 to enable more efficient fluid movement.
[0032] The cooling part 500 may be disposed to exchange heat with
the body 300, to indirectly cool the battery module 100.
Particularly, the cooling part 500 may be a part of a cooling water
channel or a cooling water tank which is connected to an
air-conditioning line of a vehicle and contains cooling water. The
cooling part 500 may be disposed at one side of the body 300,
especially at the side opposite to the open side 330 of the body
300.
[0033] Hereinafter, the cooling part 500 will be described in
detail with reference to the drawings. First, FIGS. 1 to 3
illustrate the first exemplary embodiment of the present
disclosure, wherein one side of the body 300 is inserted through
the cooling part 500 so that the body 300 and the cooling part 500
are in surface contact with each other. The cooling part 500 may be
formed in a cooling water channel of a vehicle, and thus may
include an inlet port 530 through which cooling water is introduced
from the cooling water channel and a discharge port 550 through
which the introduced cooling water is discharged. The cooling part
500 corresponds to a space in which the cooling water is
temporarily stored while flowing, and has a coupling aperture 510
into which one side of the body 300 may be inserted. The body 300
may be inserted through the coupling aperture 510. Therefore, the
outermost surface of the body 300 along one side of the body 300 is
in surface contact with the cooling water in the cooling part 500,
and the heat transferred from the battery module 100 may be cooled
through heat exchange with the cooling water of the cooling part
500.
[0034] FIG. 4 illustrates the second exemplary embodiment of the
present disclosure, which has the same configuration as that of the
first exemplary embodiment, except that the transfer member 350 is
arranged on the inner surface of the circulation space 310 to help
fluid circulate in the circulation spaces 310, thereby improving
the cooling efficiency. FIGS. 5 and 6 illustrate the third
exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure and FIGS. 8 and 9
illustrate the fifth exemplary embodiment of the present
disclosure, wherein the cooling part 500 is disposed at an outside
of the body 300 and the body 300 and the cooling part 500 are in
surface contact with each other. The third fourth exemplary
embodiments are the same in view of the purpose for increasing the
contact surface, differing only in the shape of the cooling part
500. Therefore, the cooling water in the cooling part 500 and the
battery module 100 exchange heat through the body 300, to cool the
battery module 100.
[0035] FIG. 7 illustrates the fourth exemplary embodiment of the
present disclosure, wherein an insertion groove 570 in which the
body 300 is inserted is formed on the cooling part 500 and one side
of the body 300 is inserted in the insertion groove 570, so that
the cooling part 500 and the body 300 are in surface contact with
each other.
[0036] Moreover, heat exchange in the exemplary embodiments
described above will be described with reference to FIG. 4. In
particular, heat is transferred from the battery module 100 to the
body 300. Since the cooling part 500 is disposed at one side of the
body 300 (e.g., a first side), fluid within the circulation space
310 of the body located at the side of the cooling part 500 is
condensed by the cooling water, and the condensed fluid moves to
the other side of the body 300 (e.g., a second side) along the
inner surface of the circulation space 310. During the movement,
the transfer member 350 may facilitate the movement of the
condensed fluid. The condensed fluid moving in the circulation
space 310 is evaporated by the heat transferred from the battery
module 100, and the evaporated fluid moves to the cooling part 500
along the inside of the circulation space 310 while exchanging
heat.
[0037] Therefore, a vehicular battery cooling apparatus having the
construction described above may reduce the quantity of cooling
water to thus reduce the weight thereof, reduce the power
consumption of a water pump to thus increase the power performance
of the vehicle, and remove the possibility of direct contact
between a high-voltage battery and cooling water to thus remove the
possibility of fire due to leakage of the cooling water, thereby
increasing the safety.
[0038] Although the present disclosure has been shown and described
with respect to specific exemplary embodiments thereof, it will be
apparent to a person skilled in the art that various modifications
and variations may be made in the present disclosure without
departing from the technical idea of the present disclosure, which
is provided by the following claims.
* * * * *